Black 'n' Gold Girl's Book Spot

Please join me in welcoming novelist Lisa Norato as she tells you a bit about herself, her book Prize of My Heart and her furry baby Chaka! I'm so glad to have her and as a new Christian fiction author I'm sure she'd appreciate a friendly or encouraging comment. :-) Lisa and Chaka Thank you, Renee, for inviting me to your week-long party in celebration of three years of blogging on the Black n’ Gold Girl’s Book Spot . Happy Anniversary!! I love what you’ve done with the blog, love the fact you’re a dog lover like me, and just want to say I’m so happy to be featured here among such wonderful, fellow Christian authors. Since Prize of My Heart is your debut can you tell us a bit about yourself and your writing journey? The truth is, I’m a bit of a homebody, having lived in New England and close to family my whole life. I grew up surrounded by its rich colonial history, changing seasons and close proximity to the coast. Years later, this would greatly influence my...

Thank you all so much for your terrific comments yesterday, YOU are the reason I keep blogging. I love reading and sharing my favorite books with you. One of my favorite authors is writer of romantic comedy fiction and devotionals, Sandra D. Bricker aka Sandie. She's my blogiversary VIP today so please welcome her and read on to learn more about a special giveaway... Heeeeere's Sandie! Sandie For those who may not know tell us a bit about yourself. I’ve been writing since the dawn of time. I started out in film school, and I wrote screenplays for 200 years. Then when my mom became ill in Florida, I left Los Angeles behind and moved across the country to take care of her. Since the writing gene wouldn’t rest, I went from writing scripts to writing books. 15 published books later … here I am! I seem to have accidentally been branded in romantic comedy, and I couldn’t be happier about it. I think it’s always a bit bittersweet when I read the last book in a series I li...

Wow it is so hard to believe that I have been blogging for THREE WHOLE YEARS! It's with sheer disbelief that I have almost 300 followers when I didn't think I'd even get to ten. I've met so many great bloggers and reader friends willing to dish and discuss books with that I could probably talk all day  for a whole year with a different one each day and still have friends left over. I don't know where I'd be without your encouragement and willingness to stick with me even when I get blogger's block! I love finding a great book and learning about the authors who write them so I figured there would be no better way to celebrate than sharing some great authors with you! Throughout this week, starting tomorrow, I will be hosting an author friend I'd like you to meet. Sandra Bricker and her dog Sophie have been here before but Sandie has a book coming out this month and I just had to have her tell you all about it! I have some brand new friends to intro...

Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings Copyright 2012 Bethany House Publishers ISBN: 9780764209901 My Thoughts: As a blogger I have the utmost respect for all that authors do to get their stories out there for us to read. Research, plot development, character design, editing, re-editing it all has to be unbelievably hard work. I don't care how talented you are a story doesn't end up perfectly easily. I'm sure Regina Jennings a debut author with Bethany House Publishers can tell you just as much. With her book Sixty Acres and a Bride you get a story that is almost perfection and it's obvious that she has poured her heart into it. Sixty Acres and a Bride is a good debut. If you like westerns and biblical fiction this is a mix of the two. Ms. Jennings has taken the story of Ruth and set it in 19th century Texas. While I haven't always been the world's biggest biblical fiction fan I love westerns and will read almost any romance I can get my hands on...

*Guest post by-- COTT Sr. Editor, April W Gardner *This clash sponsored by WhiteFire Publishing The first five hundred words of any story are usually enough to clue us is as to the author's style, the tone the book will take, and whether or not the story will hold our interest. It's those five hundred from two different unpublished novels that Clash of the Titles presented to you last week.  Will Ramirez's Soul Yearning and Nancy Kimball's Chasing the Lion **** We asked our readers which they would be most likely to continue reading and this is how they voted : CHASING THE LION by Nancy Kimball In addition to a hearty welcome to the COTT family, as announced yesterday, Nancy was invited by Astraea Press to submit a complete proposal for immediate review. Maybe one day very soon, we'll see  Chasing the Lion  come back to Clash of the Titles to compete as a published novel! This is what our readers had to say about  Chasing the Lion : *The first exc...

Beauty for Ashes by Dorothy Love Copyright 2012 Thomas Nelson Publishers ISBN: 9781595549013 My Thoughts: Last year's inspirational debut by author Dorothy Love was a good edition to my romance library but Beyond All Measure doesn't compare to Beauty for Ashes , book two in the Hickory Ridge Romance series. From the very beginning I was hooked! Carrie Daly had my sympathies dealing with a bossy sister-in-law and her two bratty boys. I have to say this is the first book of the year that made me want to throw it across the room. Very rarely do I get angry with characters but Mary...well Mary was quite contrary, hence the book hurling. As the story progressed I really didn't think things could get much worse for Carrie but it seemed one tragedy or trial after another came her way. This isn't a perfect happily ever after type story for Carrie but thankfully Mary and her sons evolve to become a bit more likable. I will say that I didn't like that we don't le...

It's so hard to believe but three years ago this month I started this blog! I never thought that I'd get 10 followers let alone almost 300! Wow! To show my appreciation to all of you and to showcase some great new Christian fiction and the uber-talented people who write it I'm hosting a blogiversary party from March 12-16th. There are going to be some great authors stopping by that week with brand new books that are hot off the presses to give away. I. Am. So. Excited. Three of the four authors (Ms. Bricker is a Black 'n Gold Girl veteran) are brand new to me and to this blog so I hope you all stop by and say howdy! It's going to be a super sweet party with some great giveaways that you won't want to miss! Here's the VIP list and schedule for the week... Monday, March 12 - A welcome to the party with my giveaway announcement! Tuesday, March 13 - Author Sandra Bricker Wednesday, March 14 - Author Lisa Norato Thursday, March 15 - Author Mesu Andrews Friday,...

While browsing the Goodreads giveaway section last night I came across a super adorable book-- Jane Eyre for babies! You might be thinking how in the world is that appropriate for babies like I did at first but no, this book looks great and something any mommy (or daddy) who is a fan of the classics would want to get for their little one. They also have a...wait for it...a  Pride and Prejudice version, Romeo and Juliet and Alice in Wonderland ! Yep, totally cute. If I ever have kids they will be getting these. Heck, I'm tempted to buy them right now! I can think of no better way to introduce a child to books and the love of a good story than through these board books. I haven't read them or even seen them in the store but from what I've seen of the previews on Amazon they're a children's library must-have. Little Miss Bronte: Jane Eyre by Jennifer Adams Art by Alison Oliver Copyright 2012 Little Miss Austen: Pride and Prejudice by Jennifer Adams...

* guest post by COTT Senior Editor,  April W Gardner The lovely Lisa Lickel has stopped by today to talk about her frigid Wisconsin winters, her 1830’s ship’s captain house, and her growing list of published novels. Join us! Lisa  is a Wisconsin writer who lives with her husband in a hundred and fifty-year-old house built by a Great Lakes ship captain. Surrounded by books and dragons, she is a multi-published novelist, has written dozens of feature newspaper stories, magazine articles, radio theater, and edits two magazines: Creative Wisconsin and OtherSheep. She is also the senior editor at Reflections in Hindsight . Lisa is the author of A Summer in Oakville , co-authored with Shellie Neumeier, Meander Scar , Healing Grace , and The Gold Standard . Wisconsin. Brrr! What's the coldest weather you've endured? Lisa: The thermometers read in the negative thirties. The temp has to be at least twenty below, not just wind chill, to call off school. Once it’s minus ten o...

Heart's Safe Passage (The Midwives, Bk 2) by Laurie Alice Eakes Copyright 2012 Revell Publishers ISBN: 9780800719852 My Thoughts: I'm a huge fan of pirate tales since reading MaryLu Tyndall's Legacy of the King's Pirates series. Even though that series was drawn to a conclusion a few years ago I still look for and enjoy tales that are set aboard ships. This book in The Midwives series is a fine example of everything I love about high seas romances. At first I was a little underwhelmed by the characters and the plot but as the story unfurled and the unpredictability of the sea and rogue privateers became a factor I couldn't put the book down. There is no other word than tumultuous to describe this book. The relationship between Phoebe and Rafe (best pirate/privateer name ever) was so realistic. The arguments and the genuine anger didn't evolve smoothly into an easygoing relationship once they got to know each othe...